Steve Daines and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

For the first time in months, Steve Daines dared to show his face in Montana. Daines advertised his meetings as “Meet with local officials, community leaders and constituents” at some local breweries. But things did not go as planned for Daines, or rather they went too well. Daines managed to host his meetings way ahead of schedule ensuring anyone who wasn’t in on the gambit would not be able to speak with the junior senator.

Daines office issued a press release Tuesday saying the senator would appear at Missoula’s Big Sky Brewing Wednesday to discuss how last year’s tax reform legislation has benefited the business. The meeting was scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m., but the senator was out the back door before the start time.

How convenient! It seems like in between touring breweries Daines cannot find the time to meet with his constituents. This dereliction of duty is familiar to most Montanans but to be so bold as to schedule fake events and try to get credit for it is a new low for the anchor of political courage that is Steve Daines.

Yellowstone Public Radio was able to ask Daines directly about his lack of intestinal fortitude, political cowardice, or just fear of meeting with a non-hand picked, pre-screened group of Montanans (his bosses).

And here is what Daines had to say for himself:

The town hall that you hear about is, we, are coming primarily with some of the resistance movements, frankly from the pretty far left folks in the state that’s who is making the loudest noise.

As a Senator, it is Daines’ duty to hear from and represent ALL Montanans. As a public servant you do not get to pick and choose which constituents you represent. Have the courage and ability to still respect the people who may disagree with you. As a Montanan who has never voted for Steve Daines–also never seen him host an in person town hall–he is still our senator. And he still owes us an audience.

Below are the next scheduled congressional recesses–maybe Senator Daines can use that time to hold a town hall instead of drinking beer. Heck, if he wants to have a town hall at a bar I am sure Montanans will welcome a cold Stout and a stout discussion of the issues facing our state. It is the least he can do, we are paying him $174,000 that can buy a lot of Milk Stouts at the Blackfoot.

Senator Daines has made the cynical political calculation that he only needs to keep his base happy and that the rest of Montana can go take a flying leap. I think his math is going to prove wrong. Rising energy and disatisfaction from Montana’s women voters, a new crop of young voters–many of whom are saddled with crippling college loans–are going to look at Senator Daines and his behavior–which is both weasly and craven–and look for another candidate to vote for. It is not outside the range of possibilities to see Daines primaried before his next election. You heard it here first.

About 100 of “us” arrived at Al’s Cycle in Hamilton as per Daines’ night before issued press release that he would arrive at 1:15, including at least 4 press people. Lo and behold he’d arrived 45 minutes before talked to people who’d been notified and had left. Who does stuff like this? My mother would have had my neck for this kind of behavior. True elementary school stuff.

And among those who were there early were Ravalli County Commissioner’s Chilcott and Hoffman. Just came a little early to do some shopping….I’d have more respect for them if they’d just said they’d gotten a call.

It looks like people have to arrive at least an hour before the scheduled time. Then make sure that there enough to block all the exits so that Daines can’t easel his way out.

Then, just ask one question and don’t let him out until he gives a yes or no answer. Anything else is not acceptable. And the question, “Do you support President Trump’s Proposed 2019 Budget?”

If he is not aware of the cuts that the budget is proposing, offer to sit with him to look at the cuts and get his level of support for them. If he says that he has another meeting, have electronic communications set up for his next destination so that they can also participate. And above all have seniors who want to know why the Republicans want to cut Medicare and Social Security.

Olszewski is in my opinion, beyond extreme. With his misogynistic views on a womans’ right to choose, (let me decide what you can and can’t do with your bodies ladies), will be voting to kill your health care, has already proven he thinks he knows more about what Montanans want than Montanans. He promoted a terrible bill, ignoring the wishes of the citizenry who overwhelmingly want to keep medical aid in dying. Bad person for the job. Crackpot doesn’t cover it.

His counterpart out of Wyoming is an example that will give you a good idea of why a doctor that ain’t worth crap gets into political office because his practice can’t generate the ego massaging funds that they need. Look at Barrasso standing next to McConnell-looks like the proverbial deer caught in the headlights. He has done very little for that state.

Maybe Mr. Daines will expound upon his support for the NRA by choosing to boycott Delta Airlines because they no longer will subsidize members of a gun makers lobbying organization.
Maybe he can explain why his “church buddy” and richest member of the House of Representatives needs donations in excess of $300,000.00 from the NRA.
I guess you need income to buy those new Carharts and Cabella camo gear for the next campaign.

“However, Burr and Tillis voted in February 2017 in favor of House Joint Resolution 40, which ended the requirement to enter the names of individuals who receive federal mental health benefits into the National Instant Criminal Background Check system.”

“The resolution passed on a 57-43 vote that included four Democrats senators — Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Jon Tester of Montana — in states that Trump carried handily in 2016.”-Winston-Salem Journal

Mr. Daines has never answered any of my letters with anything except a stockpiled generic mass mailing that many times doesn’t even address the topic that I wrote about. Why should he act any different in person? His willingness to meet with a very small sampling of people who share the very small sampling of his ideology should give him a general idea of how he can expect to do in his next re election bid.

Daines did get an earful from a couple of local women, so he did not escape unscathed. I personally inquired if one was about to kick someone after she listened to his dimly witted reply? The man seems to be a Political Hack who seems to respond to political hacks with similar opinions, and pretty much assured the gathering in Hamilton that he will continue to seek input from like minded political Toadies……